Upstream Branded Building
Environmental Graphic Design
Branding for Upstream’s building utilizing design elements to maintain the brand’s theme.
Timeline: October - November 2023
Role: Environmental Designer, Graphic Designer
Challenge
The task for this project is to create a branded exterior for Upstream, a hypothetical brand in which the mission is unknown to myself as the designer.
The building itself already exists, however, a facade and sculptural elements can be added. The only parameters were to utilize the fish logo somewhere on the building as well as the brand’s colors. The use of a variety of design elements was highly encouraged.
Ideation
Throughout the ideation process, I experimented not only with ways to utilize different design elements across the space but also with multiple software programs in order to achieve certain effects.
Sketchup: Experimenting with color,graphic expression, and decals.
-
![]()
Lines and Color
-
![]()
Lines and Color
-
![]()
Curved Lines, Color, and Decals
-
![]()
Line and Color
Adobe Dimension: Experimenting with color, shape, and graphic expression.
-
![]()
Shapes and Color
-
![]()
Shapes, Color, and Pattern
-
![]()
Pattern and Color
-
![]()
Shapes and Color
Twin motion: Experimenting with technology. The exterior is covered in electronic screens that display videos like moving water and ripples.
-
![]()
Daytime view (#1)
-
![]()
Nighttime view (#1)
-
![]()
Daytime view (#2)
-
![]()
Nighttime view (#2)
Adobe Dimension: Experimenting with form, texture, and color sometimes through the use of building facades and appliques/panels.
-
![]()
Wavy panels like rippling water
-
![]()
Zig-Zagging wall texture
-
![]()
Spherical raised forms reminiscent of bubbles
-
![]()
Raised geometric cube forms
-
![]()
Wavy facades reminiscent of waves
-
![]()
Form used to disguise shape of building
-
![]()
Using form through the incorporation of statues/monuments
-
![]()
Building facade in shape of rolling wave
Final Design Proposals
Upstream’s proposed design solution includes combining color, typography, symbols, graphic expression, form and imagery to create a consistent brand identity. The structure carries the brand’s theme throughout, and most notably features a large wave coming in from the right of the structure, and trickles beneath the front before becoming a massive wave wall on the left.
The doorhandles are also custom-made for Upstream and continues the theme of waves and soft curves but features the other brand color.
The building also has a painted mural of the logo on its backside.
